Shockproof mounting



Dec. 7, 1948. J. E. FLANAGAN 2,455,89

SHOCKPROOF MOUNTING Filed July 16, 1947 I NVENTOR k Jax/Af 2' /244/,464/1/ BY ATTORNEY new ne. v, im` 2,455,891

UNiTEDfsTAri-:s PATENT orrlcs' yassainir John E. Flanagan, Chicago, lll., signor to Tinnerman Products. Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio b' Application July 16, 1941, Serial No. 761,389

A primary object of the invention is to provide a highly simplified shockproof and insulated support which comprises a simple grommet made of rubber or other resilient material and a combined washer, bushing and nut device having a resilient threaded connection with a bolt or screw securing the support in a completed mounting in a manner whereby the resiliency of said resilient threaded connection of the nut device adds to and forms a part of the resiliency of the shockproof support.

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-358) mounting the chassis of a radio set in the cabinet structure, casing, or the like. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not in any wayI limited to such use inasmuch as the shockproof and insulated support is one of general utility which is equally-adapted to various other applications and uses in the fabrication and mounting of lightweight structures in which it is necessary or desirabletoprovide a simple and inexpensivemeans for dampening vibratory motion, shock and jarring effects, and the like.

Referring now, more particularly to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate the invention as employed to support a plate-like member lu representing a base, frame or bracket member forming a part of the chassis of a radio apparatus. for example, which is secured in a shockproof and insulated mounting to the panel mem- A further object of the invention is for the provision of such a shockproof and insulated support which is strong, durable and reliable and the parts thereof readily provided in relatively. small sizes for use in close quarters and installations where space is limited.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide in a shockproof and insulated support of the kind described,- a combined washer, bushing and resill' ient nut device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is admirably suited for economical quantity production in that it may be formed at low cost from standard sheet metal stock with little loss or waste of material.

Further objects and advantages of the invenber P, of a cabinet structure, casing or other housing. The panel member P of the cabinet structure may be of any metal, wood,.plastic or .other material and is provided at predetermined points over the area'thereof with the required y number of bolt passages I for bolts or screws 5 tion, and other new and useful features in the construction, arrangement and general composition of parts thereof will be readily apparent as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, in which like reference characters designate like -parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View illustrating a mounting installation embodying the improved shockprcof and insulated support of the invention with the combined washer, bushing and nut member shown in elevation:

Figure 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. l, on an enlarged scale, with the combined washer, bushing and nut device shown in section;

Figure 3 is a side view of the completed shockproof and insulated support as seen from the left of Fig. 2; b

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the combined washer, bushing and nut device shown employed in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive; and

Figure 5 is a side view of the fastener per se shown in Fig. 4.

`The invention' is disclosed in connection with a shockproof and insulated support which is emplayed, for example, in a radio apparatus, in

for securing as many units of the improved shockproof and insulated support of the invention as may be considered necessary or desirable for any particular installation. Likewise, the chassis member I0 may be of any suitable metal, wood, plastic, or nbre-board construction but usually is in the form of a metallic plate or panel and is provided withl a circular grommet receiving opening Ii in concentric relation to the associated bolt passage i in the supporting panel P.

The grommet l5 is made of soft rubber or other resilient material in the general form of a disk having an annular groove on its periphery denning spaced circular flanges i6 on either side of a cylindrical body portion I 1. The size of said cylindrical body portion i1 preferably is of the same size as the opening ii and the thickness thereof substantially the'same as the thickness of the peripheral marginal portion of the panel so that said grommet fits in snug engagement with the circular edge of said opening and with the spaced flanges i6 in surface engagement with the opposing faces of the plate adjacent said opening. In this relation, the spaced nanges i8 are flexible relative to the body portion i'l of the grommet and are adapted to yield slightly in any direction responsive to shock or vibratory eie'cts to dampen the same. The grommet is provided with a central bore i8 which together with the flexibility of the flanges I6 permits the grommet to be readily compressed as necessary to snap either flange i6 through the opening Il in preassembling the grommet on the plate member l0 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, after winch the bushing type of nut device 20 is assembled within the accumulil simple, inexpensive `article of manufacture that may be provided at comparatively low cost fromV standard sheet metal material. Any suitable sheet metal may be employed but preferably that ofY a spring metal nature such as spring steel or cold rolled metal having spring-'dike characteristics. In general, the fastener comprises preferably'a disc-like body defining an annual head or washer portion 2| provided with radial slits or notches 22, Figs.v 3'and 4, presenting spaced edges adapted to bite into the adjacent surface of the grommet and thereby prevent slippage of the fastener. vin theapplication and tightening of the boltor screw. 5 therewith. The central area of thefastener -withinrthe washer or head portions 2| is lformed into an integral upstanding annular sleeve defining a hollow. tubular generally cylindrical wall 25, the periphery of which is of a size approximating that of the generally cylindrical central bore I8 inthe grommet. The cylindrical wall or sleeve portion 25 is relatively 'strong and rigid and. accordingly, is designed to be received, within the bore i8 in the grommet to serve4 as a :bushing which forms a rm and relatively Vrigid bearing through the center of the grommet that provides suitable strength in the support. At the bottom or end of the cylindrical wall 2li, a disc-like base 26 defines the nut portion of the fastener 'and is provided with integral holt or screw engaging means 2128that project'inwardly within the innerV area ofthe hollow, cylindrical wall 25 of the bushing portion of the fastener.

The thread engaging elements 21, 28, are best provided Vfrom the V sheet metal material of the base 26 by an apertureintermediate spaced parallel slits "which form cooperating tongues, or the like, having spaccd extremities defining the desired thread or thread'ope'ning corresponding substantially to the root diameter of the bolt or screw for4 threadedly engaging the thread thereof. vSaid tongues Y 2l, 28, otherwise are preferably formed to project inwardly out of the plane of the base `26 and are bent lengthwise in substantial ogee formation to provide for the maximum strength .obtainable to withstand the tightening action of the'bolt or screw 5 as it is advanced to final applied fastening position.

Such thread engaging meansmay be pressed,

stamped, extruded,` or otherwise provided on the separate. auxiliary locking means such` as a loci:V

nut or lock washer and this, in mass production,

cient and practical in that they are possessed unusual inherent strengthand will not collapse or pull through during tightening of the bolt or screw B. The sheet metal material from which such tongues are formed is of less thickness than the pitch or spacing between adjacent thread convolutions on the bolt or screw. wherefore the extremities of said tongues tend, more eifectively, to move toward each other and dig into the groovesY intermediate adjacent thread convolu-` tions when tightened and otherwise become embedded in the root of the bolt in locked frictional fastening engagement therewith. Thus. in' the present example, the tongues v2l, 2l, are shown as extending inwardly out of the plane .of the base 2l in substantial ogee formation and provided preferably with arcuately notched entremi-l ties, forming substantial biting Jaws designed to cut into the rootof the bolt and the adjacent thread surfaces thereon in positive locking relation therewith in the most eective manner.I

There is thereby eliminated the necessity for a makes possible considerable savings not only in the cost of such locking devices, .but also, in the expense and labor involved in the tedious, .time consuming assembling voperations and other added stepsin manufacture which such auxiliary locking means require. It is to beunderstood, however.' that the present invention is not limited in any `manner or form Vto the illustrated construction of the thread engaging means "but rather, comprehends also, various other similar and related forms of such tongues or equivalent thread engaging elements.

Itwill be appreciated, further, that the fastener 20 is formed from a minimum of material with a suitable relatively rigid base 2B for providing the bolt engaging means comprising the cooperating resilient tongues 2, 28. The fastener thus provided is most simple and inexpensive and by reason of its general cup-shaped design refastener in any suitableform or construction so long as the same threadedly engage with the thread of the bolt or screw and, in this relation, the present invention fully contemplates the provision of such thread engaging means in various other similar and related forms, as in the manner of a keyhole type of thread opening, or a perfo rated protuberance which ls pressed from the sheet metal and shaped to provide a helical thread or thread'opening, or otherwise has the walls thereof tapped to provide a plurality of threads for threadedly engaging the boltor screw. However, it has been found that such thread engaging means'prepared in the form of cooperating. yieldable tonguesv as shown, are most eiliquires only a minimum of space such that it isadmirably suited for use in installations calling for fasteners which are small and compact and yet strong and durable.

The component parts of the shockproof mounting are assembled in a minimum ofA time, effort and operations simply by assembly the grommet i5 in the opening il inthe base I0, frame; bracket or other member to be mounted, and then assembling the combined washer, bushing and nut fastener 20 within the central bore il of the grommet as shown inFigs. l and 2, wheremounting of the same and it is, therefore, a rela-` engaging elements 2'i,` 28 otherwise arev inner-z ently resilient and therefore are 1n-resilient ene;

the opening II in the supported part I so that the central portion of grommet I is clamped by said body portions 2| without clamping the peripheral flanges I6 of the grommet. Said flanges I6 of the grommet, accordingly, are adapted to iiex and yield in connected relation with the marginal portions of the opening Il in the supported part l0. Such iiexibility in the iianges I6 in addition to the resiliency of the body of the grommet l5, which is composed of soft rubber or other resilient material, together with the aforesaid yielding characteristics of the thread engaging tongues 21, 28 of the fastener 20 provide a shock absorbing support that has been found in use to be highly practical and exceptionally eiiicient in dampening the effects of shock, jarring and vibrationto which the cabinet P or other support may be subjected Without transmitting the same to the radio chassis part or other supported member I0.

Although the invention is described in connection with a shockproof and insulated support which is particularly useful in the mounting of the chassis of a radio set in a cabinet structure, it will be appreciated that the invention is equally aapplicable to a wide range and variety of other What is claimed is: 1. In a shock absorbing mounting, a part having a grommet opening, a grommet positioned over said opening comprising a resilient body having a bore, a fastener associated with said grommet comprising a sheet metal body defining a washer portion bearing on said grommet, a bushing portion received in said bore in the grommet and a nut portion carried by said bushing portion -comprising resilient thread engaging means, and a bolt or screw having a threaded connection with said resilient thread engaging means in spaced relation to the wall of said bore in the grommet and securing said part to a supporting part in a resilient joint provided by the resiliency of said grommet and the resiliency of said resilient thread engaging means.

2. In a shock absorbing mounting, a part hav-` ing a grommet opening, a grommet in said opening comprising a resilient body having a bore and a flange bearing on either side of said part adjacent said grommet opening, a fastener assoapplications and uses in the fabrication and mounting of lightweight parts in cabinet structures, casings, housings, and the like, in accord-v ance with the general principles, procedure and teachings of the instant disclosure;

The fastener 20 comprising the combined Washer, bushing and nut device preferably vis constructed of relatively thin sheet metal, the thickness of which is selected according to service requirements and the predetermined size of the parts secured. The fasteners are most effective when provided of spring metal suitably spring tempered and otherwise treated to give the desired toughness and hardness, particularly in the case of devices which are put to heavy duty in installations where extreme vibratory motion ciated with said grommet comprising a sheet metal body defining a washer portion bearing on said grommet, a bushing portion received in said bore in the grommet and a base at the end of said bushing. portion comprising resilient thread engaging means stamped from said base, and a bolt or screw having a threaded vconnection with said resilient thread engaging means in spaced relation to the wall of said bore in the grommet and securing said part to a supporting partv in a resilient joint provided by the resiliency of said grommet and the resiliency of said resilient thread engaging means. y y

3. In a shock vabsorbing mounting for securing parts in spaced relation to dampen vibration effects and the like, one of said parts having a grommet receiving opening, a grommet in said takes place. .A cheap but effectiveV fastener may metal nature and capable of providing an effec-'- tive and reliable installation adapted for a long l l period of satisfactory service and use.

While the invention has been described in detail with a specic example, such example is intended as an illustration only, since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications in the construction, arrangement and general combination of parts may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended -claims rather than by the foregoing description, with all changes falling within the scope, meaning, and range of equivalency of the claims intended to be embraced therein.

opening comprising a resilient body having a bore and iianges engaging opposite sides of said part adjacent the grommet opening with one of said flanges spacing said part from the other part', a fastener comprising a sheet metal body defining a head portion engaging the grommet adjacent the other iiange thereof, a bushing portion received in said bore in the grommet, a base at theend of said bushing portion and resilient thread engaging means stamped from said base, and a bolt or screw having a threaded connection with said resilient thread engaging means in spaced relation to the wall of said bore in the grommet and securing said parts in a resilient joint provided by the resiliency of said grommet and the resiliency of said resilient thread engag- The following references file of this patentz' UNITED STATES PATENTS Australia Feb. 8, 1938 are of record in the 

